The expectation of connectivity anytime anywhere drives the wearable sensors
market. Moreover, the upsurge in aging population and skyrocketing healthcare expenses
have enforced people to opt for several
fitness gadgets to track their daily activities and improve well-being. In line
with this trend, prominent market players have focused on bringing advancements
in technology by integrating sensors, known as wearable sensors, in clothes and other fashion accessories using wired
or wireless devices. Wearable sensors are ideal for tracking and measuring
health and sports performance. From a number of steps a person has taken in a day to the
quantity of oxygen inhaled while
sleeping, wearable sensors can monitor a plethora of daily activities. Moreover,
wearable sensors help monitor adults or patients with chronic conditions. Thus,
the demand for wearable sensors has increased in the last few years. According
to a research firm, Allied Market Research, the wearable
sensors market is projected to reach $2.258 billion by 2022, growing
at a CAGR of 52.9% from 2016 to 2022.

The need for continuous
connectivity demands an extended battery power for the wearable devices, which compelled
scientists to develop solar-powered components that can be used in the wearable
devices.

Wearable Sensors Powered By Solar Supercapacitors

A team of researchers at the University
of Glasgow’s Bendable Electronics and Sensing Technologies (BEST) discovered a
novel way to enhance the performance of
wearable sensors and reduce power consumption by developing a solar-powered
supercapacitor. Supercapacitors are expected to make wearable sensors lighter
and more energy-efficient. The team developed a new type of graphene
supercapacitor, which can be used in next-generation
wearable health sensors.

The current technology used in
wearable sensors relies on heavy and inflexible batteries, which are
uncomfortable for long-term use. Thus, the team, led by Professor Ravinder Dahiya, developed a powerful wearable health
sensor that adapts itself according to the wearer’s
body, ensures better comfort, and collects data more efficiently. Prof. Dahiya stated,
“We are extremely happy with the performance of this new solar-powered
supercapacitor. This revolutionary technology, at its core, is a flexible,
wearable health monitoring system that requires exposure to sunlight to keep itself
charged alongside offering a great deal of additional potential.”

The developed supercapacitor uses
multiple layers of flexible and three-dimensional porous foams from graphene
and silver. This combination of metals helps to produce and store three-fold
power compared to traditional supercapacitors. The team demonstrated the
durability of the supercapacitor and proved that it can stay powered for 25,000
charging and discharging cycles. Dahiya also
added that this technology can be used in remote health monitoring across rural
parts of the world.

Wearable Sensors Help Quit Smoking

Wearable sensors took a giant
leap in healthcare to save human lives when scientists at Case Western Reserve
University developed an automatic alert system that can help impulsive smokers
to quit smoking. Their smart application is based on the Android operating system, which has been
designed to send texts video messages automatically to smokers when the
wearable sensor detects specific arm and body movements related to smoking.

Erstwhile, nicotine gums have
played a key role in helping people stay away from nicotine addiction. However,
in the recent years, wearable sensors technology has gained popularity to fight
against addiction. This technology, which
has accuracy up to 98%, comprises two
armband sensors that can detect smoking motions, and trigger a personalized text-messaging
service that reminds users to quit smoking. The study, which was conducted on a
group of 10 users, was recently published in Smart
Health journal.

Ming-Chun Huang, assistant electrical
engineering and computer science professor and team leader of the study expressed,
“Our system has been effectively differentiating between a single motion that
can easily confuse with eating and
drinking. Our wearable sensors can detect a sequence
of motions with high accuracy and inform whether the user is smoking or not.”

According to Huang, the system
was developed and tested over the period of one year by the team of Case School
of Engineering and a high school intern in collaboration with a clinical
psychologist at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine.